Thursday, January 26, 2012

by 8pm last night, i was feeling a little better & thought i would venture into my blue room...

At this point, i knew this one was not meant to be a happy face... :-)

So i just let it go where it wanted to go.

...and in the end, it's not so bad.

It kinda gives a face to the word MIGRAINE, doesn't it?
I just hope i don't look like this when i get them. :-)

On another note, I want to share a little story about my father.

My father was a carpenter. A good one. A respected one.

He's been officially retired for several years,
although he's kept himself busy with odd jobs here & there.

Then a year ago, he had a severe heart attack, and needed open heart surgery.

He could no longer do the things he used to do.
He needed to scale down, big time.
It took a while to adjust, but eventually he did, and within months of being back home

he made this...

A birdhouse / bird feeder.

Dad doesn't do anything half assed.

These little birdhouses reminded me that even when life changes drastically,
and so many things are taken away from you,
the need for creative expression remains.
The need to have purpose. The need to feel useful.

And for a carpenter like my father,
the profound need to do something with his hands. To make something.

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

Only a few days left before i mail in my SKETCHBOOK PROJECT
and lucky for me, only a few pages left. :-)

I decided on a simple black micron pen illustration,
although i ended up adding a bit of black pencil here & there.
I'll be adding text on the right hand side of the page,
just not sure what i'll be writing yet.

This is Etta James in her younger days.
For those of you who don't know of her,
Etta was a fabulous American jazz & blues singer
who just passed away last Friday.

If any of you don't know of her,
you must at least listen to this one song of hers called AT LAST.
mmmmmm... i hear it in my head already. :-)

My heart melts as soon as the song begins...

And so, i had a wonderful evening
drawing in my little blue room
and then finished off the evening
with a shower & my happy time soap.

I'm easy to please. :-)

Wishing you all a wonderful week.
Make time for something that makes you smile.
xoxo

Saturday, January 7, 2012

This is part of a page spread for the 2012 Sketchbook project. It'll be sent out in a few weeks

(end of January) to "tour the world"! and then to its permanent home in NY.

Part of me thinks "wow!! this is great!! I can share my actual work with so many people around the world!" and then the other (pessimistic) part thinks "oh, come on. There are probably millions of sketchbooks like yours. If 3 people get to leaf through your sketchbook, you'll be lucky".

But maybe - just maybe... one of those people will relate to something in the sketchbook,

and be inspired to do something themselves?

That in itself is worth it for me.

I'm currently reading a great book by Twyla Tharp called THE CREATIVE HABIT.

A reminder that we are creatively connected in more ways than we think, and that we are all,

in one way or another, like Pavlov's dog. :-)

When i sit myself down in my room, light a candle & turn on some music, there's a switch in my brain that turns itself ON & sends the message to my body that it's time to paint, or write. It's an evening habit for me, but i know people who get up at 5am to honour their creative habits. It's whatever works for you.

Do you have a creative habit?

Do you tap into your own creativity with rituals or routines?

Are you more creative in certain rooms in your home, or in certain places outside?

Thursday, January 5, 2012

When i said i was taking a break from blogging, i was serious. :-)
i must admit it's good to be back, although i still feel like i'm stuck in slow speed and don't quite know where to start - or when.

The holidays were great, but like most people, i overdid everything and too much of a good thing is never good, so i'm happy to get back to the routine of moderation. Last night, for the first time in weeks, i went into my blue room (photo above) and took out some paper & coloured pencils & just played for a bit.

Just as we often realize the extent of our love for something (or someone) only after it's gone, i often only realize how much i missed drawing or painting after i sit myself down in my chair... and put on some music, and calm myself enough to hear my own breathing. It felt good to be back.

I don't do resolutions. But with each new year, i take the time to reflect on the year passed,

and to look forward to the year ahead.

Even when that year may include the fucking Kardashians. :-)

We make the best of it, right? The good with the bad. Yin & Yang.

I took this photo on December 27th, when i was visiting my parents.

A double winter rainbow... ranks right up there with seeing a unicorn.

My wish for you all in the new year:

that you ALL take baby steps towards your dreams & live the life that allows you to SHINE!

Grab a badge & link love, baby!

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About Me

hi, my name is Pauline.
I'm an artist, a writer, a graphic designer, a life enthusiast, a nature lover, a smile seeker, a curious heart, and a book fanatic. Grab a cup of tea, a glass of wine, whatever your little heart desires and stay a while...
Thanks for being here.